Super Bowl Stage Not Too Big For Young Chiefs Players

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The Kansas City Chiefs were able to become Super Bowl LVII champions thanks to many different contributors. Certainly, the veteran instincts and leadership of names like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and Frank Clark were a major part of that. The head coaching pedigree of Andy Reid was also important for Kansas City. However, the impact of the younger Chiefs players should not be forgotten from this Super Bowl win.

As a consistent contender, Kansas City has to be able to find production from cheaply paid, younger players. The last two drafts have been absolute home runs from general manager Brett Veach and his front office staff. We have seen those players immediately step in and find comfort and confidence.

In Super Bowl LVII, the moments from these younger players may have been minimal, in terms of quantity. Yet, the Kansas City Chiefs gained significant momentum from the explosiveness and technically sound execution from some of their most inexperienced players, so to speak.

Popping Off

I will continue to say that Isiah Pacheco will likely never get enough credit from the national media for his rookie season. As a seventh rounder, no less, the Rutgers product assembled 960 scrimmage yards in the regular season, despite not being a starter until the middle of the season.

More importantly, Pacheco came through with two outstanding playoff performances. He registered 95 rushing yards and 7.92 yards per carry in the Divisional Round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then in Super Bowl LVII, Pacheco left the Philadelphia Eagles battered and bruised. He totaled 76 rushing yards, 5.07 yards per carry and a rushing touchdown.

Pacheco’s angry running style was already challenging for the Eagles to corral. When you add in his vision, patience and burst, Philadelphia was unable to penetrate and plug much gaps against him. Pacheco not only made his mark in Super Bowl LVII, he also locked up a key piece of the high-octane Chiefs offense moving forward.

Bully Ball

Even though they are not rookies anymore, the play of Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith is still mind-boggling for blockers that are in their second season. Humphrey and Smith were tasked with climbing to the second level or pulling across a defender’s face many times in Super Bowl LVII. The holes that them and the rest of the Chiefs offensive line were able to open up were massive. Seemingly, anyone could have ran through those holes. That is still somewhat staggering to say, given the dominance of the Eagles defensive line this season.

Entering their third season next year, the duo of Humphrey and Smith are among the best in the NFL at their respective positions. Kansas City is also benefitting by them being paid cheap on rookie deals. To have that combination inside of a passing happy offense is simply irreplaceable. Namely, the Chiefs offensive line was the biggest difference in Kansas City being able to comeback in the second half to win Super Bowl LVII.

Moore, Toney Shine

The amount of touches for Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney may have been light in Super Bowl LVII. However, some of the plays that they made may have been the most impactful thing they had done all year. Let’s start with the rookie from Western Michigan, Skyy Moore.

Moore was able to secure his first career NFL touchdown on a wide-open pass. By faking jet motion across the formation, Moore peeled back outside towards the perimeter and left the Eagles in the dust. He also made a key block on a rushing attempt that likely has gone under the radar. On the split back formation in which Pacheco got into opposing territory around the left end, Moore essentially took out two defenders with his block. That is impressive to see his instincts in that moment, as he cracked back into the middle of the field, understanding leverage.

“This is such a well blocked play”@aqshipley #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/EoHUPJK7s9

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 14, 2023

Finally, Toney is just electric with the ball in his hands. His 65-yard punt return felt like it locked up all of the momentum that the Chiefs needed to secure the win. That is also a new record for longest punt return in Super Bowl history. Moreover, his touchdown catch came with the same fake jet motion action that Moore scored on in the fourth quarter. What a steal Toney could become for the Kansas City Chiefs offense, as he enters his third career season next year.

The Captain In The Middle

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In a game that did not really have much defensive standouts, Nick Bolton had a meaningful performance. His fumble recovery for a defensive touchdown kept the Chiefs in it late in the first half. As a result, that allowed Kansas City to stay in striking distance for the second half comeback. Bolton almost had another fumble recovery for a touchdown later on. If not for that being ruled an incomplete pass, you could argue that Bolton had a case to be named Super Bowl MVP, assuming he got that second touchdown.

Like some of these aforementioned younger stars, Bolton is able to make an impact with his instincts and smarts. By wearing the green dot in the middle of the defense, the Missouri product is responsible for leading his defensive teammates and getting them in the right spots. With his ability to fly around and make big hits in Super Bowl LVII, Bolton helped create the few stops necessary for the Chiefs to get the victory.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.